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FRICK, M.G., K.L. WILLIAMS & L. PIERRARD. 2001.
Summertime foraging and feeding by immature
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Kemp’s ridley sea turtles in south Texas waters. Journal
of Herpetology 25: 327-334.
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First Record of Juvenile Leatherback Stranding in Mona Island, Puerto Rico

Ximena Vélez-Zuazo1, María Rondón2 & Carlos E. Diez3

1
Grupo de Tortugas Marinas-Peru, APECO, Pque. Jose de Acosta 187, Lima 17. Peru
2
Centro de Investigación y Conservación de Tortugas Marinas, Apdo 50.789. Caracas 1050-A. Venezuela
3
Programa de Especies Protegidas, DRNA-PR, San Juan, Puerto Rico

The leatherback turtle is a highly pelagic species
that approaches coastal waters only during the
reproductive season (Marquez 1990). According to
Eckert (2002), juvenile leatherbacks inhabit tropical
waters until they exceed 100 cm in carapace length,
and the number of sighting of small juveniles is very
rare. Some authors have proposed that juvenile and sub-
adult leatherbacks are rarely observed due to fast growth
rates and their pelagic behavior (Pritchard & Trebbau
1984; Zug & Parham 1996). Therefore, it is of value to
document the observation of small juvenile
leatherbacks. The following information is from a
stranding of a juvenile leatherback (Dermochelys
coriacea) found at Mona Island, Puerto Rico. On
November 7, 2001, after a week of heavy weather, a
leatherback was found, stranded on the shore at Playa
Mujeres (south-east coast) on Mona Island (18°05’N,
67°54’W). The turtle was missing its right front flipper
and had no eyes due to the advanced stage of
decomposition. Its measurements were 16.7 cm over-
the-curve carapace length (OC) and 11.7 cm OC
carapace width. It can be inferred by the size of the
Marine Turtle Newsletter No. 99, 2003 - Page 18
animal, that it was less than one year old (Zug & Parham
1996). Although this is not the first time a juvenile
stranded leatherback turtle is reported in Puerto Rico
(Johnson 1989) it is the first record for Mona Island.
ECKERT, S.A. 2002. Distribution of juvenile leatherback
sea turtle, Dermochelys coriacea sightings. Marine
Ecology Progress Series 230: 289-293.
JOHNSON, M. L. 1989. Juvenile leatherback cared for in
captivity. Marine Turtle Newsletter 47: 13-14.
MARQUEZ M., R. 1990. FAO Species catalogue. Vol. 11:
Sea turtles of the world. An annotated and illustrated
catalogue of sea turtle species known to date. FAO
Fisheries Synopsis No. 125, Vol. 11. Rome, FAO. 1990.
81 p.
PRITCHARD, P. D. H. & TREBBAU, P. 1984. The Turtles
of Venezuela: Society for the Study of Amphibians and
Reptiles Contributions to Herpetology 2: 403 pp.
ZUG, G.R. & J. F. PARHAM. 1996. Age and growth in
leatherback turtles, Dermochelys coriacea: A
skeletochronolgical analysis. Chelonian Conservation
and Biology 2: 244-249.